The European Union’ official ban on the use of lead in electronic solder under its Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation has created a substantial challenge for electronics in terms of meeting cost and reliability demands. This has necessitated a new approach to manufacturing all types of electronic assemblies, including flexible circuits, without the use of solder and the development of new solder alloy free electronics (SAFE).
Chapter 12 provides a detailed look at solderless assembly processes and their many advantages. Additionally, it relates solderless assembly concepts specifically to flexible circuits and shows the almost unlimited future potential for this technology.